


What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Who We Are

by wingsyouburn



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: Gen, Mentors, Old Friends, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21837535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: They needed a Zordon. All they had was Tommy.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	What Doesn't Kill Us Makes Us Who We Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheSecondBatgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecondBatgirl/gifts).



> For ~TheSecondBatgirl. Happy Yuletide! I really loved all of your prompts for Dino Thunder-era Tommy, and the idea of him dealing with angst at being the mentor was too good to pass up. I hope you enjoy! ♥ 
> 
> Set before Tommy becomes the Black Ranger.

Tommy couldn’t sleep.

He spent many nights in his lab, trying to crack the code of the dino gems he discovered. Apparently, all he had to do was watch three curious teens for detention and they’d do all the work for him.

The last thing he wanted was to make Connor, Ethan, and Kira into Power Rangers. But those decisions weren’t up to him. The power chose who it chose, and these teens didn’t have anyone else to lead them.

Who better to do so than him? Tommy was the only Ranger he knew to carry three different colors, to lead three separate teams. When he decided to work for Anton, and pursue paleontology, he’d hoped to leave all of this behind. Maybe he could settle down, have something like a normal life, where he could pretend that the monsters that haunted his dreams weren’t appearing in town again. 

Instead he was dragged right back in. Tommy knew what he had to do. Leaving the teens to their own devices wasn’t an option. It was part of why Tommy and Hayley built this lab beneath his home. They needed a mentor, someone to look out for them, to guide them for the battles ahead. If Mesagog was anything like the enemies Tommy had fought before, the new Rangers would need all the help they could get.

They needed a Zordon. All they had was Tommy.

Rubbing at his eyes, he collapsed at his desk. The monitors were dark, and he didn’t want to turn them on to scan for any new activity in Reefside. The computers were set up to alert him if there was something going on, but right now, the silence served him better.

Connor, Ethan, and Kira were changed forever. The power would always be a part of them, a burden Tommy knew well. He’d fought longer and harder than most Rangers, and giving up the power was harder than adjusting to taking it on. He should have earned his retirement by now.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the time. 3 a.m., 6 on the east coast. Early, but some conversations couldn’t be avoided, and he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. Hayley knew of his past, but she had the Cyber Cafe to open soon, and she didn’t have the perspective he needed. It wasn’t the first time former Rangers called each other, either, but Tommy wasn’t as good at keeping in touch as some of the others were.

It rang three times, and a familiar voice answered. “What’s happened?” Jason Lee Scott asked, without preamble. Jason always knew when Tommy needed him, hence why he called him first.

“I’m back in the old business again.” He ran his hands over his hair, missing the length of his youth. Tommy wasn’t that kid anymore.

Jason whistled under his breath. “Really? What color do you have this time?”

Even his nightwear - worn gym shorts and a faded tee - were in shades of brown and black. “It’s my students, actually,” he said, and he explained the whole situation. Starting with the teens’ detention and finding the gems to taming their Zords.

“Holy shit.” Jason was quiet on the other end, and the seconds stretched between them. “You’re their Zordon.”

“That thought has already occurred to me, thank you.”

“You okay?”

Tommy threw up a hand, even though Jason couldn’t see it. “I don’t know. Was it easier when we were Rangers? I mean... there were a lot of battles, but we always seemed to have a handle on things. These kids can barely stand each other long enough to win a fight.”

“You and I didn’t always get along at first either,” Jason reminded him. “They’ll come around. They couldn’t ask for anyone better to be with them than you. You’ve got the experience to lead them.”

“They don’t know that yet, though.” Eventually, Tommy would have to tell them everything, from his origins as an evil Green Ranger to a strong leader. “They still think I’m their weird science teacher.”

Jason snorted. “That still gets me. Dr. Oliver.”

“I worked my ass off for that degree.”

“I thought you wanted to drive race cars?”

“Yeah, but it’s more of a hobby now.” The Jeep in his driveway was a far cry from the slick red Corvette he’d had for a while, but it suited the image he had to maintain. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want them to have to go through what we did.”

There was a shuffling sound on the other end of the line, like Jason was making himself comfortable. “We turned out alright in the end. They will, too. Once they figure out what path they need to take.”

Alright was a strong word. Tommy thought of his Ranger powers with every workout, even though he’d been retired for years. He kept his skills sharp to make sure he’d been ready for whatever came next, but he hadn’t expected this. What was harder? To have the power again, or to watch kids go through it - ones with hopes and dreams that didn’t involve saving the world? “Yeah,” Tommy said, rocking back and forth in his chair. “Zordon never seemed as worried about us. He always believed in us, right from the start.”

“Then maybe you should try to do the same for your new team,” Jason suggested. “Be there for them, expect them to make mistakes, but also know they’re going to figure out what to do. The power chose them for a reason.”

“I’m going to try.” It was the least Tommy could do for them. He could still fight, but the monsters would be beyond even his skill level soon. He would have to leave the fighting to their newest Rangers, but he could train them as best he could in the meantime. “Hey, man, thanks for listening. Sorry if I woke you.”

“It’s okay. I was up already anyway.” Jason still had nightmares from when he was possessed by Maligore. Tommy understood, and he wasn’t going to bring it up. “Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to come out there?”

There was a reason why Tommy had chosen to settle in Reefside instead of returning to Angel Grove. No one knew him here, as either the karate whiz kid or the race car driver or one of a popular group of teens who ran around wearing the same colors as the Power Rangers. He needed a fresh start. “I know you just got your dojo off the ground,” he said. “They need you in New York, Jase.”

“And I’ve been working nonstop for months,” Jason said. “My business partner has been nagging me about taking a vacation. Two birds, one stone.”

“I don’t think helping with a new team is really a vacation.”

“It is for us.”

“It’s a lot harder to watch them fight and know you can’t jump in to help them.”

Jason was quiet, and Tommy let it hang between them. “We’ll keep each other accountable,” he finally said. “And let’s face it, when was the last time we hung out together?”

“Without work involved? Years.” Probably when Anton’s lab blew up and Tommy had to lay low for a while. He’d gone to see Jason then. He traveled a bit, visited his friends across the country, but he never stayed long. Everyone was at a different stage of their lives now. They figured out what they wanted and they chased it down. Tommy had a doctorate, sure, but his personal life was in shambles.

Then he found the job listing for a high school science teacher in Reefside. The rest was history. He didn’t have a partner or a family or a business to worry about. He was the perfect former Ranger to lead a new team.

“Fine, fine. Send me your travel details and I’ll make sure the spare bed is set up for you,” Tommy finally said. Jason wouldn’t take no for an answer and Tommy wasn’t in a position to turn down help. Even if Jason only stayed for a couple of days, it would be nice to have a friend around.

“And don’t forget to stock the fridge.”

Tommy laughed. “I’ve never remembered before, but there’s a first time for everything.”

“Good to know some things don’t change.” Jason paused. “It’s late for you there. You should try to get some sleep.”

“Yeah.” They both knew Tommy wouldn’t. “It’s early for you, too.”

“It’s all good. Got to watch the sunrise.” 

That was Jason, always finding the positive in every situation. It made him a good leader, and Tommy tried to take his cues from him. Now they could figure out how to be mentors together, because the new kids on Tommy’s team were going to need it. “I’ll let you go,” Tommy said, “and I’ll see you soon. Thanks again.”

“Anytime. I’ll email you my itinerary when I have it.”

A click, and Jason was gone. Tommy looked at the blank screen on his phone, knowing that he should head upstairs and try to rest. Sleep wouldn’t come easy, and at least it wasn’t a school day. His only plans involved getting the teens over to start training, so he could assess what their abilities were and what they needed to work on.

Sighing, he turned on the monitors. Each screen lit up with different views of Reefside. Mesagog wasn’t going to wait until the new Rangers were ready. They had to be prepared.

Who better to help them than two veteran Rangers?

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Motion City Soundtrack's "It Had To Be You" ♥


End file.
